• by December 26, 2008

"Originality Rules" is the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's new regional winter marketing campaign, featuring five-time Olympic speed skating gold medalist Bonnie Blair extolling the state's outdoor activities, and Ferne Caulker, founder of the Milwaukee-based Ko-Thi Dance Company, focusing on arts found indoors.

The campaign, from Milwaukee's Boelter + Lincoln, features two 30-second ads running on cable and spot TV in the Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Milwaukee markets through January. They are backed by two print ads, also starring Blair and Caulker, in the Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Minneapolis Star Tribune, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Wisconsin State Journal and Madison Magazine.

The two celebrities are just the icing on Wisconsin's total winter tourism campaign, directing consumers to TravelWisconsin.com, which also includes:

• Print ads promoting winter activities in Madison Magazine, Midwest Living, Midwest Outdoors and the program for next month's snowmobile championships in Eagle River, Wis.

• Ads touting Wisconsin's arts virtues in Playbill issues at Chicago and Minneapolis theaters, plus programs for Madison's Overture Center, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Fox Valley Performing Arts Center.

• Insertion of Wisconsin Winter Getaway Guides, including co-op advertising from around the state, in such newspapers as the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily Herald and the Journal & Topic chain, which serves Chicago's near northwest suburbs.

• Targeted online ads through February on sites geared to snowmobile enthusiasts, Gen Y winter sport enthusiasts, families and arts enthusiasts.

• Online banners, widgets and weekly email blasts with links to Wisconsin snow conditions reports.

• Digital outdoor boards, running Wednesday to Friday in Minneapolis during January.

• Radio, including the state's Journal Radio Network.

• Public relations, including the distribution of electronic media kits to more than 1,700 travel magazine and newspaper travel editors, calendar editors and writers, freelance writers, web site editors, TV show producers and news directors.

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